Track a Package

Receiving Mail and Packages

Principia is served by USPS, FEDEX (Home, Express, and Ground), UPS, and DHL.

Principia Students are given a box for mail delivery. The box number is required in student addresses. The United States Postal Service is very strict on the format for this address. Do not use a made-up name on any mail, especially if you expect it to be delivered in a normal time period.

Please use the following format for your Principia Address:

Students should address all mail:

Name
1 Maybeck Place
#_ _ _
Elsah, IL 62028

(NOTE: _ _ _ is your assigned box number)

Do not use the word "Box" or the abbreviation "P.O." in your address.
Using P.O. and/or Box can cause mail to be lost or arrive slower.

Staff should address personal mail to:

Name
1 Maybeck Place
Elsah, IL 62028

Staff should address official mail to:

Name
Department
Principia College
Elsah, IL 62028

Inter-Office Mail

Inter-Office Envelopes

Addressing I/O Mail
You must always put a person's name, department if applicable, and campus (ELS or St. L). If the mail is personal, put "Personal" on the mail instead of their department. Inter-Office mail is a business service, and is treated as official unless otherwise specified.

If you are I/Oing something that cannot fit in a standard I/O envelope, please write I/O on the item in addition to the other required information.

Mail Services retrieves mail from and delivers mail to most business and academic buildings. Exceptions are based on availability and needs.

Inter-Campus Mail
When sending inter-Campus mail, expect the intended recipient to receive the mail the next business day. On a regular schedule, after you drop it in a mail drop, the I/O mail goes to St. Louis the following morning on the school bus. The mail from St. Louis arrives the same day, though at the end of the day, to the college on the bus that comes up with the Elsah students. Since the mail coming to the college arrives after we are closed, it is sorted for the next day’s distribution.

Small packages and inter-Campus mailing envelopes are always accepted, but please call for arrangements and approval on large items going to the St. Louis Campus.

Stamps

Individual stamps or books of stamps are available.
We do try to offer special stamps for most major holidays, but we keep a small number of them in stock.

Mailboxes

Faculty/Staff boxes are located downstairs in Howard Center. Student boxes are located in the concourse.

Payment

We currently only accept cash and checks at the Mail Center. We do not charge student accounts, debit, or credit cards. Stamps can never be charged to an account. For cash, you can visit the ATM machine located in Howard Center next to Piasa Pub. All checks should be made payable to Principia College.

International Mail

Principia College's Mail Center uses the United States Postal Services to send international letters and packages to 498 countries. UPS Worldship is available to ship international parcels worldwide as well, but it does cost quite a bit more. The advantage to sending a parcel through Worldship is that you can track it and have a higher sense of reliability. Every international package will need a customs form unless it is a first class letter or flat.

Pickup & Delivery

USPS - All mail being sent through the U.S. Postal Service should be at the mail room by 3:30 PM if it must be metered. Stamped mail should be at the mail room by 3:40 PM. ALL outgoing mail to the post office leaves at 3:45 PM.

UPS - Packages need to be at the Mail Center by 3:30 PM if you need to get a label made, or by 4:00 PM if you have a preprinted label.

FEDEX - Picked up throughout the day.

DHL - Picked up daily when called by customer between 11:00 AM and 1:00 PM.